A Nation in Crisis

A Nation in Crisis

During the morning hours of September 11th, 2001, on a day that seemed unlike any other, one of the most infamous events in the United States occurred. Four planes were hijacked by a group of terrorists affiliated with an organization known as al Qaeda. Two of the planes crashed into the twin towers killing 2,792 people and leaving hundreds more wounded. This attack not only killed Americans but also many other foreigners working in the twin towers. The third plane clipped the Pentagon killing and injuring several more people, and the last plane, whose primary target was the White House, crashed in rural Pennsylvania. America was shocked, mortified, and was in need of information. Rumor after rumor started, and the only person able to stop them and answer the questions the attack left behind was our newly elected president, George W. Bush. He gave a couple of speeches in response to the attacks, but none of them were up to par with what America wanted. He needed to give a speech to both rile America up and to also soothe and comfort them. His September 20th speech did just that. However, an analysis of this speech would prove that Lutz and Miller would criticize the speechwriters for their use of propaganda, doublespeak, and also fallacies.

Clyde Miller, a professor at Columbia University who founded the Institute for Propaganda Analysis, defines propaganda as “an expression of opinion or action by individuals or groups deliberately designed to influence opinions or actions of other individuals or groups with reference to predetermined ends” (157). One form of propaganda found in Bush’s speech is one Miller identifies as Glittering Generalities. Miller defines glittering generalities as “a device by which the propagandist identifies his program with virtue by use of ‘virtue words’ . . . he appeals to our emotions of love, generosity and brotherhood” (158). It is apparent Bush uses this in his speech when he says, “On September the 11th, enemies of freedom committed an act of war against our country” (210). Bush says this to put the terrorists in a negative light. He uses the phrase, “enemies of freedom”, to appeal to our emotions of love and brotherhood. It is most effective because it made America think, who would want to be an enemy of freedom unless they are bad people? Glittering generalities is not the only form of propaganda found in Bush’s speech, however.

Another form used in this speech is referred to as a Transfer. According to Miller, Transfer is “a device by which the propagandist carries over the authority, sanction, and prestige of something we respect and revere to something he would have us accept” (159). This is found in the speech when Bush said, “Freedom and fear, justice and cruelty, have always been at war, and we know that God is not neutral between them” (215). Bush is saying that God is on our side, the winning side, the side that is for all that is good, not on the side against it. He is transferring the authority of God, a figure most of America believes in strongly, to help his argument, and is very effective in doing so. Along with propaganda the speech also contains examples of a rhetorical device known as doublespeak.

William Lutz, a professor of English at Rutgers University and also the author of Doublespeak: From Revenue Enhancement to Terminal Living (1990), defines doublespeak as “a language which pretends to communicate but doesn’t . . . It makes the bad seem good, the negative seem positive, the unpleasant seem attractive “(185). The first form of doublespeak is one that Lutz refers to as a euphemism. Lutz defines this as “a word or phrase designed to avoid a harsh and distasteful reality” (185). This is found in the speech when Bush said, “Whether we bring our enemies to justice, or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done” (210). In this phrase, the word “justice” is a euphemism for death and war. Rather than just saying this, Bush cleverly implied death without coming out and saying it. Fortunately, most of America caught this and didn’t mind because it was what they wanted to hear. Along with propaganda and doublespeak, there are also signs of logical fallacies.

Gary Goshgarian